


Making it work

by Lokomotiv



Series: Tony & Tony Series [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, NCIS, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 14:18:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7761172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokomotiv/pseuds/Lokomotiv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony calls Tony after the events of !LEO.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making it work

**Author's Note:**

> Tony DiNozzo POV.

Tony waited, dial tone in his ear and a huge smile on his face.

“Your boyfriend?” was the first thing he said as the other Tony picked up.

“Mhm. Aren’t you?"

“Well, yeah. I suppose I’m just not used to people, uh, admitting to it."

“Idiots."

“Yeah, well.”

Something clanged loudly in the background, followed by indistinguishable muttering.

“You building something?"

“Yep. Rotor blades, entirely new design. If it works, which it will, it’s going to- uh, sorry."

“Hey, no problemo, I love it when you talk engineering. Don’t understand a word of it, but it’s _hot_."

Tony smiled in response to his boyfriend’s quiet laughter.

“So um, did you really send something to that Justin fellow?"

“Yeah. Well, I had JARVIS do it, but yes, he got a list of his own. I don’t think there’ll be a third date."

Tony didn’t know what to say to that. He was, on the one hand, _awed_  by the fact that somebody had stood up for him. On the other hand though...

“Hey, what’s wrong?"

“Nothing. Nothing important."

“You didn’t want me to send the list to him?"

“Yes. Well, kind of. It’s just..."

“What?"

“I go through her stuff all the time."

“Yeah?"

“So I feel a little bit shitty. I had it coming, you know. I didn’t deserve..."

The noises from the background stopped.

“You didn’t deserve what? Me standing up for you, defending you?"

Again, Tony didn’t know what to say. There really was nothing he could say right now that wouldn’t make him sound pathetic. Which okay, he _was_ , but he didn’t feel like broadcasting it.

“Tony."

“Yeah?"

“You go through her stuff, you ask prying questions, and in general do things to annoy her, yeah?"

“Yeah."

“Have you ever deliberately tried to sabotage one of her relationships?"

“What, no!"

“That would be crossing a line, right?"

“Yeah, I wouldn’t do that. Oh shit, except that’s what I did today. Fuck, I’m such a shithead."

“Okay, first of all, _I_ did that. If anyone’s a shithead here, the honor goes to me."

“But-"

“Second, do you recall who did it _first_? A hint: it was neither you, nor me."

“Oh, right."

“Right. She crossed the line, and I retaliated. With a proportionate response, I might add. Disgustingly proportionate."

“You only did to her what she did to me first, you mean. So I shouldn’t feel guilty about it. That’s what you’re saying, right?"

“Yep. Also that you should be grateful for my restraint. I’m normally not a fan of proportionate responses, you know, because I’m _oh_ so much better at the un-proportionate ones. Especially the ones that include explosions. I really like those."

Tony laughed. He felt a bit better now, about what they’d done to Kate.

“Then thank you for not blowing up her phone, I guess."

“You’re welcome."

“Wait, what - you actually could have done that?"

“Oh Tony, there is so _little_ I cannot do with a phone."

Tony laughed again, and this time found he had a hard time stopping. Each time he thought he was done, he saw in his minds’ eye Kate’s face as it would look after her phone exploded. Or as it walked away. Or started talking.

“Oh, oh god,” he hiccuped, wiping tears from his eyes.

“You done yet?” his boyfriend asked, but his voice was warm with a smile, so Tony took his time with another couple of deep breaths.

“All right. Done now, I think. We’ll have to do that, sometime."

“Definitely."

“Can you make it grow legs and walk away?"

“Uh, that would take some prepwork, but sure."

“Oh god, her _face_."

As Tony calmed down again he heard his boyfriend start working again in the background. He loved the sound of Tony building stuff. Finally, he he could talk again.

“The rotor blades, are they business or pleasure?"

“Oh, a little bit of both. R&D wanted input on some planned upgrades, but I got derailed. Pepper will kick my ass. But it’ll be better in the long run, they’ll see that eventually. I hope she’s not wearing those pointy shoes though, they'll leave bruises."

“Tell her to go wild. I love your ass, and I think it would look good with bruises. Have her send me pictures."

That got a low chuckle in response, but it had reminded Tony about one of the points on Kate’s list.

“It doesn’t bother you that I don’t mind you working with Pepper?"

“Uh, _no_. I have to work with Pepper. She runs my company, remember?"

“I know, I just meant-"

“You meant do I mind that you’re not the jealous type? Because according to Kate, that means that you almost inevitably will fool around with other people. I read the list."

“And it doesn’t bother you? Any of it?"

“No."

“But-"

“Tony."

“Yes. Sorry. I’ll let you get back to-"

“My list is _so_ much longer."

“What?"

“Seriously, my list is at least four times as long as yours."

“Okay?"

“So if anyone is going to be bothered by something on a list, there’s a four to one chance it’s going to be you. But my actual point is: we knew about those lists going in. Maybe not exactly what was on them, but we knew they existed, yeah? And now, I know that you’re not the jealous type, and that’s turned out to be good, it works for us. You know that I sometimes don’t answer my phone for a couple of days if I need to do some binge-engineering - that’s not necessarily good, but It works. We make it work. Kate’s stupid list doesn’t change anything."

Yeah. Tony knew that. Of course he did. And now he felt more than a little stupid for bringing it up.

“Tony, you there?"

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “I know. I’m sorry, I don’t know why- I’m just stupid sometimes."

“You’re not stupid."

“Hah, compared to you, everybody’s stupid. But I can be a complete idiot about things like this. It should probably go on the list."

“It should go on my list too. Right next to the fact that I sometimes make other people feel stupid even when I don’t mean to."

“ _Even_ then, huh?"

“The fact that I sometimes deliberately make other people feel stupid is on another part of the list entirely, under the sub-heading ‘He's an asshole.’ Seriously, I’ll have Pepper compile the list and text it to you. She’s gonna love it."

“You two have an exceptionally strange relationship."

“We make it work."

“Yeah."

“Was that a hint of jealousy I detected?"

“Hm, let me think about- Nope. Not even a little. Sorry."

“Just wishful thinking on my part, I suppose."

“When will Pepper get there?"

“Who said she’s coming?"

“Uh, you fear her pointy shoes. She’d have to actually be with you for them to be a threat, and she’s not there right now, so…"

“See, not the least bit stupid. She’ll be here in about… I guess a couple of hours. Why?"

“If I hurry, I can get home before then and set up a video chat."

“Okay. Why do you want to talk to Pepper, and why don’t you just call her?"

“I want to watch her kick your ass, silly."

“Oh, of course. Silly me."

"Oh, oh, oh! I just got the best idea! You’re right, I am a genius!"

“I’m pretty much always right, but thanks for noticing. What’s your idea?"

“Do you think she’d spank you for me if I asked her? I mean, I don’t have a complete grasp of the weirdness that is your relationship, but- What, why are you laughing? You don’t think she’d go for it?"

“Oh no, no, I think she’d go for it. I think she’ll  _love_ the opportunity to take me to task with a paddle."

“So why are you laughing? Oh, is it that  _you_ don’t-"

“Oh, I do."

“Then what’s wrong?"

“Nothing’s wrong, Tony Two. Just, have I told you lately how much I _really_   _don’t mind_ that you’re not the jealous type?"

Reassured, Tony grinned.

“We make it work, yeah?"

“That we do."


End file.
